Archives

Voicelessness in Black America

What do we contribute as a profession to the "conversation about race"? As lame and ungainly as this phrase often sounds, it continues to heat up around us, and therapists can no more ignore it in their lives than they can in their offices, says therapist Ken Hardy.

...Once Upon a Time in a Diversity Training Session

By Ken Hardy - When I got my doctorate in family therapy, I went to work in community-based organizations, believing that I'd change the world. Today, I realize that my work is about helping people see the insidious impact of the "otherness process." Our task poses formidable challenges, but failing to resist the seductions of "otherness" is failing at a fundamental principle of our work.

...And the Two-Minute "Courageous Act" That's So Important

By Ryan Howes - Psychologist Howard Stevenson, a researcher trained in family therapy, has devoted himself to studying the moments when racial tensions reach their peak. In the following interview, he shares the method he's developed to help individuals remain calm in the midst of a racial conflict or discussion.

Making Mindfulness Practices Relevant for People of Color

By Chris Lyford - Is mainstream mindfulness relevant to people of color and does it honor their unique cultural experiences? Some experts say more needs to be done on this front, and are taking steps to make mindfulness practices more racially sensitive.

Creating and Holding Connection with Black Teenagers

By Ken Hardy - Therapy with teenagers has to be about creating and holding a connection. As a therapist, I'm like a spider trying to lure my clients into a web that will support them. While I try to use the context of racism to help African American teenagers understand their situations, verbalize, and vent their feelings, I also want them to develop inner resources and tools for handling the adversity they face in more useful and productive ways.

Braving the Quest for True Belonging

By Brené Brown -High lonesome is a type of music in the bluegrass tradition that captures the mood of isolation many people feel today, as we turn away from one another and toward blame and rage. Our challenge as a nation is to reclaim human connection and true belonging even as, more and more, we sort ourselves into antagonistic tribes. But to do that, we’ll need to choose courage over comfort.

For the Field of Therapy, Group Identity is an Unexplored Territory

By Michael Ventura - What might therapists contribute to understanding and healing the intense political polarization going on all around us? We came across an unusually prescient article by longtime contributor Michael Ventura that still offers a provocative perspective on our current cultural ferment. We've republished it—and provided an excerpt in this blog—in the belief that, in some ways, it still seems as relevant today as when it first appeared 10 years ago.

Five Therapeutic Lessons That Only Come with Age and Practice

By Walter Lowe - Time and practice, practice, practice count as much or more than formal instruction in becoming an expert at therapy or just about anything else—medicine, law, carpentry, fire-fighting, or violin-playing. The longer you've been at it, the more deeply knowledgeable and skilled at the work you're likely to be.

Helping Traumatized Kids Discover Their Inner Resources

In its coverage of race-related discord, the media has fixed on lurid images of violence and destruction without providing much context for understanding the conditions of daily life that could possibly spark such explosive rage. Psychologist Ken Hardy understands what fuels it. In the following video clip, he shares how to connect with these kids in a way that validates their experience.

...And Why It's Not Necessarily Wrong to Take Sides

By Kirsten Lind Seal - Given how likely it is that as a therapist you’ll have cross-cultural couples come to you for support with their relationship, it’s important to know how best to help them navigate not only the usual communication and intimacy issues, but also the unique challenges that many cross-cultural couples face that aren’t always addressed in therapy.